Post-Game Talk: We choked on the fishsticks

[Shesterkybomb]

Well he is the 7th highest paid dman in the NHL

Newer contact that was signed projecting a continued growth in the cap. Had the cap continued to grow like it would have his deal would have continued to take up less and less of the cap percentage. He probably should be on the 6.5 to 7 area but percentage wise he'd probably be closer to that now if covid hadn't happened.

 

[Kravtsov420]

Very well put. It’s like that’s their idea of a rebuild. Just recycle old vets for newer, better, shinier ones, while also trying to pick up a ton of draft picks (and not use those draft picks in a truly meaningful role unless they luck their way into somehow developing a forward).

A rebuild is not just about acquiring a ton of prospects. It’s about giving them time and resources to develop, and not blocking them. It’s like buying a stock at its peak value and waiting until the value drops dramatically before selling it (I don’t know much about stocks, so I’m not completely sure if I made the right analogy).

Edit: Just want to clarify that competition is good, but still. It’s not like the kids are much worse than Kreider or Zibanejad right now. Gorton/Quinn don’t want to risk it though. “Can’t afford missing the playoffs.” It’s just going to piss me off a lot more if they don’t play the kids more after tonight.

Bingooooooooooooo. They have their foot in two worlds right now. They need to make a decision. And I’m not confident that they’ll make they right decision.

 

[LORDE]

Why do we always overreact to a loss. We just took 3 out of 4 points against this same team 2 weeks ago and outplayed them in both games. Ya know, the team with a good forecheck and D system.

Ehhhhhh I think it's ok, at some point in the season, to be "over" reactionary to a HUGE loss against a HUGE rival.

We looked out-everything'd in all 3 zones and probably would've lost a game of jacks next to the dumpster at the Mausoleum.

In big games, when you show your ass and are all but eliminated from playing meaningful games the rest of the way it's alright to call it like it is.

 

[Peltz]

Look, I love Messier, both as a player and for what he did for the organization. But, we seem to have a bit of blind-spot when it comes to leadership. Messier was the leader here at the end of the Dark Ages, and despite being a great leader the players clearly didn't listen because the teams were crappy and dysfunctional, and nothing was achieved. Likewise his leadership really didn't achieve much in Vancouver. So was he soft? No, but there's a lot more to both leadership and success than just being vocal and/or tough.

What we need is a group of players who buy into the club and work together, work at bettering their game, and establish some standards. We also need skill throughout the lineup and a coach who can implement a good system while making adjustments as needed

Yea, well said. Just having the right mentality isn't enough. This isn't necessarily a "soft skill" issue.

In fact, it looks more like the Rangers just don't know how to win in a game against a defensively sound team. When you're playing the Islanders, you can't just "make plays." You have to win puck battles and be willing to get clobbered up the middle for a one-timer. You have to create traffic in front of the net.

You get so few opportunities to score that you also need to be defensively sound and clog up the neutral zone.

The Rangers just don't have the personnel to play a conservative playoff-style game. They have snipers and play makers. But other than Kreider, they don't have a guy that can cause traffic in front of the crease - and Kreider is the most hot and cold player on the team so you can't always rely on him.

If I had to guess, Kakko and Kravs are the most playoff ready forwards on the team right now. Our actual top six looks too easy to shut down.

 

[PuckLuck3043]

Isles played a lot better last night than the previous meetings. And probably the Rangers were tired.

So your point about over-reacting to one game is well-taken.

But still - do you think we have what it takes to match the best teams on their good days? I don't. In the past month or so I've see the Isles, Bruins, and Pens make us look like we can't do anything. And these were games we had to win. We had wins vs these teams as well, but they didn't need to win every game.

In answer to your question, no not yet, but I still think we can beat them on our best days and we have. Just because we need to win every game doesn't mean we are going to. These inconsistencies don't surprise me one bit. We aren't good enough yet but we will be. We are still a work in progress.

 

[Jaromir Jagr]

He is but not at this moment. Kravtsov has shown me enough right now that i don't think the gap is as far as i once thought it would be between their ceilings

Krav was drafted two years ago and was clearly not an NHL player then or even last year. Laf was drafted this year and has stepped in and despite not lighting the world on fire, hasn't looked completely out of place and has produced moderately.

I have no idea who will be better (and could still see KK being better than either of them once he learns to finish), but my point is everyone overreacts here and these guys won't be hitting their prime for another 3-6 years. Only then will we have a real idea of what the ceilings are for each.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Krav was drafted two years ago and was clearly not an NHL player then or even last year. Laf was drafted this year and has stepped in and despite not lighting the world on fire, hasn't looked completely out of place and has produced moderately.

I have no idea who will be better (and could still see KK being better than either of them once he learns to finish), but my point is everyone overreacts here and these guys won't be hitting their prime for another 3-6 years. Only then will we have a real idea of what the ceilings are for each.

All true points but if we're picking a guy that's earned a spot in the top 6 right now is Kravtsov. Lafreniere to me should be the best player in the end. I'm excited about all three. Also i never compare players first years when they come from outside of North America to a player who grew up playing this style of hockey on North American ice.

 

[mandiblesofdoom]

In answer to your question, no not yet, but I still think we can beat them on our best days and we have. Just because we need to win every game doesn't mean we are going to. These inconsistencies don't surprise me one bit. We aren't good enough yet but we will be. We are still a work in progress.

Right - we're a work in progress. We're not poised to win at the moment.

Given that, I'd like to see them play our talented young forwards more and get "win now" out of their heads.

 

[Unpredictable1]

For me, more disappointing than this lopsided loss is the fact that Trouba came out setting the tone with a great hit on Martin - but then almost immediately left himself completely vulnerable when he saw Matt Martin bearing down on him. You know Martin is coming in hot for the counter punch.

Cmon Trouba, you know better than that. Hope he gets better soon.

 

[duhmetreE]

Because in these three games against the Islanders, the Rangers scored a sum of seven goals, one into an empty net. The scorers against a goaltender were Alexis Lafreniere, Colin Blackwell, K’Andre Miller, Libor Hajek, Brendan Smith, Kevin Rooney.

That means: none for Artemi Panarin, none for Mika Zibanejad (who got the empty-netter), none for Chris Kreider, none for Ryan Strome, none for Pavel Buchnevich.

None for the Big Five, who in this one bled goals against, with Zibanejad, Kreider and Buchnevich all on for three with Panarin and Strome on for two through a team-wide defensive performance so deficient it harkened back to the worst days of Alain Vigneault’s tenure.

Rangers stars crumble under pressure again in worrisome sign

we're not built for playoff hockey. I'd argue Mika was the best of the group

 

[Anthony5967]

They took Trouba out and their leadership really folded again didnt it?

 

[Cag29]

After seeing Matt Martin take out our most physical/toughest player with no repercussions we aren’t winning anything until they balance skill and grit. If that was the 94 Rangers Graves
Would have challenged Martin immediately. Or Kocur would have took his head off. Where was Kreider. If he wants to be captain he knows no one else is capable of doing something yet he remained invisible. I know he’s not a fighter but you have to do something in that case. They handed us our ass in an important game.

 

[McRanger]

Gauthier is a driver of play? I haven't seen those stats. Is that true, so far in his career?

He doesn't do much for shots or shot attempts but he's better with scoring chances and his high danger chances are super high, probably because he can drive to the net so well. At least once a game he'll be in front of the net banging away at a high danger chance or two; he's scored a few goals and hit a few posts but its pretty much the only thing we've seen him do well so far.

But its a small sample so who knows.

I think it would be smart to get a better look at him before the expansion draft but I don't see that happening.

 

[McRanger]

My biggest peeve this entire season is our crappy forecheck.

isles always had two men after the puck, even on line changes.

We barely have one. Even when we arent changing lines

We don't have a crappy forecheck so much as we just don't forecheck. Even when we run what looks like a 2-1-2 its pretty passive and most of the time it looks like we run a 1-2-2. I think the forecheck changes to be situational but in pretty much every situation it's not very aggressive and I can only assume that is by design.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

After seeing Matt Martin take out our most physical/toughest player with no repercussions we aren’t winning anything until they balance skill and grit. If that was the 94 Rangers Graves
Would have challenged Martin immediately. Or Kocur would have took his head off. Where was Kreider. If he wants to be captain he knows no one else is capable of doing something yet he remained invisible. I know he’s not a fighter but you have to do something in that case. They handed us our ass in an important game.

Team toughness hasn't been in this teams dna since Dubi, Cally and Boyle were here. It needs to show up, a guy runs Lafreniere into the goal post the other night and not much happens there either. I know its not in Chytil or Kakko to fight but you have to show up in moments like that or teams will push you around all you career and what if its you next time, you think Lafreniere is gonna be itching to jump in now? Trouba seeing nothing happen after he left must have been pretty disheartening as he'd be one of the few guys there that would jump in for someone else especially when the game ended up out of hand anyway. Kreider, Rooney, Howden, Smith, Lindgren all should be ashamed that they let that hit on Trouba slide and i give the dmen a bit of a pass since Smith looked gassed after losing Trouba and having his minutes bumped but its embarrassing for this team to show no amount of respect for their own teammates. Buch isn't overly tough or anything but his willingness to do it has given him more space out there.

 

[Overcast]

Team toughness hasn't been in this teams dna since Dubi, Cally and Boyle were here. It needs to show up, a guy runs Lafreniere into the goal post the other night and not much happens there either. I know its not in Chytil or Kakko to fight but you have to show up in moments like that or teams will push you around all you career and what if its you next time, you think Lafreniere is gonna be itching to jump in now? Trouba seeing nothing happen after he left must have been pretty disheartening as he'd be one of the few guys there that would jump in for someone else especially when the game ended up out of hand anyway. Kreider, Rooney, Howden, Smith, Lindgren all should be ashamed that they let that hit on Trouba slide and i give the dmen a bit of a pass since Smith looked gassed after losing Trouba and having his minutes bumped but its embarrassing for this team to show no amount of respect for their own teammates. Buch isn't overly tough or anything but his willingness to do it has given him more space out there.

Kakko jumped in approximately 1 second after Laf was laid out.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Kakko jumped in approximately 1 second after Laf was laid out.

Little pushing match will really make him think twice about throwing our firsr rounder into the post.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

I know people don’t want to hear it but after the last couple weeks I could see Trouba being the leading guy to be given the C before next season starts

 

[Shesterkybomb]

I know people don’t want to hear it but after the last couple weeks I could see Trouba being the leading guy to be given the C before next season starts

Honestly thought he was the captain anyway

 

[bernmeister]

He doesn't do much for shots or shot attempts but he's better with scoring chances and his high danger chances are super high, probably because he can drive to the net so well. At least once a game he'll be in front of the net banging away at a high danger chance or two; he's scored a few goals and hit a few posts but its pretty much the only thing we've seen him do well so far.

But its a small sample so who knows.

I think it would be smart to get a better look at him before the expansion draft but I don't see that happening.

well said

 

[TominNC]

After seeing Matt Martin take out our most physical/toughest player with no repercussions we aren’t winning anything until they balance skill and grit. If that was the 94 Rangers Graves
Would have challenged Martin immediately. Or Kocur would have took his head off. Where was Kreider. If he wants to be captain he knows no one else is capable of doing something yet he remained invisible. I know he’s not a fighter but you have to do something in that case. They handed us our ass in an important game.

Nice that you have memories of NHL 30 years ago. Unfortunately many of those players don't. Times have changed.

 

[mas0764]

Can’t overreact to losing to the most gritty team in the league in the Islanders. Don’t go and start looking to match Matt Martin. Get your skill up to speed and ram it down their throats with skilled goals.

The Islanders have a slew of 30 year olds and are not gonna last. Don’t overreact. They are a tough matchup for us now because they are very big and physically mature and they disrupt our skill easily because our skill isn’t entirely developed yet. Give it time.

 

[Raspewtin]

"they didn't show up for a must win game"

every single game they've played since the end of March was must win and they won a lot of them. you say "well uh this was a playoff atmosphere" what the f*** does that mean? there were some hits in t he 1st period? so what?

I know this board has a throbbing hard on for the Islanders for some god forsaken reason but this game shouldn't have proven much of anything.

 

[Peltz]

I still think Laf is the best of the three going forward, and by quite a bit.

Curious about what you see in Laf that makes him stand apart from Kakko and Kravs. I think all three will be great, but I could not pretend to know which of the three will be the best. Kravs has more experience so he's a bit more polished right now, but I really couldn't say who will be better when all 3 mature. It's so early in their careers.

 

[duhmetreE]

Can’t overreact to losing to the most gritty team in the league in the Islanders. Don’t go and start looking to match Matt Martin. Get your skill up to speed and ram it down their throats with skilled goals.

The Islanders have a slew of 30 year olds and are not gonna last. Don’t overreact. They are a tough matchup for us now because they are very big and physically mature and they disrupt our skill easily because our skill isn’t entirely developed yet. Give it time.

You don't have to match Matt Martin or copy the Islanders. How does Boston, Carolina or Tampa do it? They are not perimeter teams

our dial is too far to the left on Perimeter and Finesse. We need to bring it back towards the middle... literally and figuratively